Philip E. Porter

Haverhill: Philip E. Porter, Jr. 71, a well-known musician and resident of the city since 1998, died at his home after a long illness on Sunday, July 5, 2015, surrounded by his family. He will especially be remembered as a husband, father, brother, and friend to those who loved him.

Born in Boston and raised in Charlton and Somerville, he was the son of the late Philip E. Porter and Helen (Nadeau) (Porter) Stagnaro. He graduated Somerville High School with the Class of 1961 and attended Boston University.

Phil began his music career in Boston at the age of sixteen as a professional pianist and organist. By the age of 20 he had recorded his first two jazz albums and had performed at the Newport Jazz Festival. As a member of the band "Chase," he earned a gold record, received a Grammy nomination, and performed on the Johnny Carson Show and at Carnegie Hall. After many years of performing throughout the U.S. and worldwide, he returned to the Boston area and continued his music career locally, including as the organist for the Bruins and Celtics at the Boston Garden. He was a member of Local 535 of the Boston Chapter of the American Federation of Musicians. He settled in Lynn to raise his family and lived in Andover prior to moving to Haverhill where he served as a volunteer for Merrimack Valley Hospice.

He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife of sixteen years, Sharon "Sue" (Milan) (Singleton) Porter, two sons, Philip E. Porter III, and his wife Jessica of Des Moines, Iowa, and Rick Porter and his fiancé Linda Carpenter, of Peabody MA, two daughters, Tina Porter of Conway, NH, and Wendy Porter of Concord, MA, three step-sons, Donald Singleton and his wife Kathie Dunn of Carmichael ,CA, David Singleton of Derry, NH, and Daniel Singleton and his wife Juanita, of Granite Bay, CA, two brothers, Fr. John Stagnaro, of Watertown and Centerville, MA, and Paul Porter of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, two sisters, Dr. Natalie Porter, Ph.D of Alameda, CA and Marybeth Porter of Malibu, CA, grandchildren, Caitlyn, Seth, Kyle, Lindsay, Bobby, Dynasty, Isaiah, MacKenzi, Tom, Kalei and Kai, great grandchildren Ezra, Aiden, Kennady, and Brianna, and nieces, Stephanie and Elia, and several cousins.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Phil's Life Celebration to be held on Thursday, July 9, 2015 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St, Plaistow NH. His funeral will begin on Friday at 9 a.m. from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in All Saints Church, 120 Bellevue Avenue, Haverhill. A private family burial service will take place at a later date in Calvary Cemetery in Roslindale. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA. 02284. To find directions to our home or to send a message of condolence to the family, please visit www.brooksidechapelfh.com.